Huawei eyes Vietnam

Huawei, which is the world’s third largest smartphone maker, last week said Vietnam was a strategic market for Huawei’s consumer business group, as an engine of rapid growth in the next five years.

Huawei Device Vietnam will develop three strategic transformations from business-to-business to business-to-customer, from hardware to user experience centric, and from off line to online-to-offline, including organisation, resource, distribution model, and marketing.

The firm is going to heavily invest $5 million into marketing in Vietnam’s smartphone market with a view to boosting its brand awareness from 13 to 35 per cent in 2015.

The firm is also planning to deliver over 500,000 high-quality smartphones for the Vietnamese domestic market this year.

Over the past few years, Huawei has been co-operating with local operators in supplying telecommunications equipment. This firm has also introduced some smartphone lines including the Ascend G700 and G610s and the Huawei Y320.

Last week, Huawei officially launched its new-generation smartphones including its flagship Mate7 and P7 Arsenal and G7 and Holly Honor.

While Mate7 offers consumer experience innovations, P7 Arsenal provides a limited edition, with the G7 proving the latest innovation of the successful Huawei G series and the Honor Holly which is the best choice for entry users, Huawei said.

“Huawei has always considered Vietnam one of its most important markets, as the country boasts a big population of almost 100 million, predominanntly younger people who are more savvy in the use of new technologies. Vietnam is also witnessing high growth in the usage of telephones in general and smartphones in particular,” said Huawei Device Vietnam general manager Shawn Shu.

Huawei will focus on expanding store coverage in Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho this year. It aims to build over 200 stores with Huawei branding, and a distribution network of over 700 stores, while strengthening its retail team structure.

“In addition to boosting activities to develop our brand name, Huawei will continue investing more strongly on expanding co-operation with partners and distribution channels, and online sales as well. We will also swell and develop our service and customer care centres,” Shu said.